Mindfulness (MF) is a deliberate act of paying attention in a particular way. It is a promissory practice to improve the health, well-being and carry out in a more efficient way some cognitive functions such as working memory, executive function in adulthood and the early adolescence like it could examine in the study briefly revised.
MF is a self-regulated ability that involves attention on the thoughts and own feelings without judgment. It is the attention improved to the care that facilitates the processes conscious self-regulated. Practices of MF come from the contemplative tradition of east and they have emerged like a form to reduce stress and promote the well-being in children and adults. MF is conceptually based on the models of the self-regulation theory; is a state of conscience characterized by self-awareness and with the attention guided to the present moment in an open state and acceptance. There are an increased number of studies which report the relation among the practices based on MF and direct benefits on health and well-being. Specifically in the context of promoting the health, the well-being, and school success, their practice has been identified as a promissory method to improve the types of attention that are important for the inhibition development and self-regulation in adolescents.
In this excellent article, “Mindfulness and Inhibitory Control in Early Adolescence” the authors report the results from their research of MF in relation to the executive function in adolescence, taking into account the role of grade, gender and neuroendocrine regulation (as assessed via salivary cortisol). MF is related with the attention, self-regulation and cerebral functions. It can be trained, fostered, and promoted in the initial adolescence. The executive function is related with the intellectual abilities and problem-solving skills. The processes of executive control are functions of high level to organize, sequence, and regulate the conduct, they play a crucial part in daily activities and such functions as planning, maintenance, administration of multiple open targets and maintain cognitive flexibility. They are fundamental for positive and healthy development of life. Cortisol as indicator of neuroendocrine regulation is related with the response to stress, control of executive abilities, and self-regulation of the behavior. MF as the abilities of executive control can be considered protective factors that may be trained and fostered, contributing to the adolescent´s healthy and positive development.
This study investigated the relationship between the executive control of inhibition and self-reported dispositional MF in adolescents with a 10.2 year-old average. It contributes to understanding the predictors of executive function skills in early adolescent´s cognitive development. Specifically, it identifies MF, an ability that can be fostered and trained in intervention programs to promote health and well-being, as significantly related to inhibitory processes in early adolescence.
Main result is that self-reported mindfulness predicted the inhibitory control in a significant and positive way in a sample of early adolescents, after controlling the school grade, gender, and cortisol levels. To more mindful attention awareness more correct predicted the answer on rehearsals of high demand inhibitory control. This is a very important contribution to MF literature and executive control. The importance rests on its application to the design of intervention programs to foment cognitive function, improve self-regulation, and promote positive development in the youth. Cortisol was a negative predictor of executive control, as it was of being expected.
Journal reference
Oberle, E.,Schonert-Reichl, K.A. Stewart Lawlor, M., Thomson, K.C. (2011) “Mindfulness and Inhibitory Control in Early Adolescence”, The Journal of the Early Adolescence, published online 30 March 2011. DOI: 10.1177/0272431611403741.
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